Maggie Matthews:“My work is inspired by peoples desire to invest meaning into everyday objects.

“I have a collection of pebbles and shells, chosen over time, that have become resonant with emotion. Maybe I found them at poignant moments or was intuitively attracted to their simple beauty. Time is traced upon their surface and I try to interpret the markings and shapes, fixing them with ephemeral memories. In recognition of this connection I have gilded some of the natural forms to be found here.

“In this complex society it is difficult to find our own identity and maybe it is the very act of searching for beauty and finding meaning that brings us some tranquility.”

Born in Wales, Maggie Matthews moved to West Penwith in 1988 and has since gained recognition as one of Cornwall’s leading abstract painters. Inspired by aerial views of the shore and the landscape, she can often be found walking the cliffs, sketchbook in hand, noting and sketching the shapes and patterns below her, which are then translated into paintings in the studio. Her work has been exhibited widely throughout Cornwall and the UK, most notably in The City Gallery, The Air Gallery and Thompson’s Gallery in London. She has also exhibited in America on Nantucket Island and New York in the ‘White Columns’ exhibition which is on a worldwide tour.

In 1999 BBC Wales Broadcasting Studio commissioned a permanent collection of Maggie’s paintings which are on display during broadcasts.